WILD FOOD PLANTS OF THE PHILIPPINES 



By William H. Brown 



INTRODUCTION 



There is a very commonly accepted belief in temperate coun- 

 tries that fine, edible fruits abound in tropical forests. This idea 

 is largely erroneous. In the Philippines, with its varied flora, 

 there are probably fewer fine, edible, wild plants than in the 

 eastern part of the United States. Moreover, such wild plants 

 as are edible are usually inaccessible, and less abundant than 

 is the case in the United States. 



Wild fruits or nuts occurring in the Philippines are generally 

 of an inferior quality, or are borne in such small numbers, or 

 so high up in the trees, as to make their collection difficult. There 

 are, however, some striking exceptions. The pili nut {Cayiarium 

 luzonicum) , considered by most people as superior to the al- 

 mond, is abundant and is a staple article of commerce in the 

 Philippines. One of the wild mangoes {Mmigifera caesia) has 

 a fine flavor and is sold in the markets in the regions where it 

 occurs. The duhat {Eugenia cumini) , although not a native 

 of the Philippines, is thoroughly naturalized at low elevations 

 throughout the Archipelago and is very abundant. The fruit 

 is good, and is sold in large quantities. Among other wild 

 fruits which are commonly seen in the markets are mabolo 

 (Diospyros discolor), guava (Psidiiim guajava), santol (San- 

 doricum koetjape) , kamachile (Fithecolobium dulce) and bignai 

 (Antidesma bunius) . These, though favorites with the Filipi- 

 nos, do not seem to appeal to American tastes. A number of 

 others have fine flavors but, in general, are not articles of 

 commerce. 



The leaves and young fruits of a number of wild species are 

 cooked and eaten as vegetables. Some of these have very good 

 flavors. 



In many cases, the plants might be improved by cultivation, 

 or could serve as stock on which to graft other species, or be 

 used for breeding purposes. 



In making a list of edible plants, the species included will 

 depend to a considerable extent on personal judgment. Many 



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